Joined structure



Jan. 14, 1936.

L. D. MORTON JOINED STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 50, 1934 1N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY,

Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES JOINED STRUCTURE Lawrence D. Morton, Sandusky, Ohio, assignor to The Hinde and Dauch Paper Company Application October 30, 1934, Serial No. 750,665

6 Claims. (Cl. 22948) The aim of this invention is to provide a joining means and jointed structure particularly suitable for employment with sheets of corrugated board, or other sheet-like materials of sufficient thickness to be butt-joined at their edges. The particular advantage of this invention with corrugated board is that by a suitable joint board can be made'into greater widthsv than is possible on machines at present in use, and although not strictly unitary, will be as rigid and firm in construction as though it were actually a single piece.

For various mechanical reasons it is standard practice in the fiber board industry to limit sheets to an extreme width of sixty inches. Machines for making greater widths are not desirable to build and operate, either from an engineering or manufacturing standpoint. This limitation has considerably restricted the use of fiber board as a packaging material for large objects. Joints hitherto devised for such boards have been structurally weak and generally so unsatisfactory that the packaging industry has made little or no effort to use fiber board where a dimension of more than sixty inches in width for a single surface is necessary.

Although the invention is shown and described as directed to joining corrugated boards in the direction of their width, this is donebecause it is the most desirable use for the invention, however the joint would be equally applicable to connecting lengths, but is seldom so used because corrugated board is generally manufactured by a continuous process in the direction of its length. Hence, in making packages, display panels, and fiber board structures generally, size limitations are due to the width of the material.

Besides enabling corrugated board to be used in greater widths than hitherto possible, my invention also permits the utilization of trimmings and narrow remnants which would otherwise be useless. Consequently although the use which has so far been made of my invention indicates that its principal advantage is in the making of large boxes and, box-like structures for packaging or display, it is by no means limited to large sizes.

In particular, the invention accomplishes its purpose by a joint construction such that, especially in a structure having angularly-related walls, sliding of the abutting edges with respect' to one another, and lifting of the edges out of their common plane, are both prevented. Thus the joint is one which can neither move sideways noroverlap its ends, and is at least as strong as the material joined.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain structure embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various struc- 10 tural forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 illustrates an unfinished conventional carton embodying my invention; Fig. 2 represents the 15 completed carton, both views being in perspective; Fig. 3 is a detail in plan of my improved joint, with parts broken away to show the construction; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified form.

Two diiferent forms of joint are shown, but it is to be understood that these are illustrative of the principle and that other shapes suitable for the purpose may be employed. Only one 25 jointed structure is illustrated, as a typical and preferred embodiment. Any number of sections may be so joined.

In the carton of Figs. 1 and 2, the top and bottom pieces of board II and I2 are joined so as to give an overall extension greater than would be the case if a single piece were used. This may be regarded either as illustrative of a carton more than sixty inches high, and thus necessitating the employment of a wider stock than hitherto deemed practical, or of a box made of board pieces, perhaps edges from some other operation, which are too narrow in themselves to give the necessary height. a

The sheets to be joined, designated by the reference characters II and I2 in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive and II' and I 2' in Fig. 5, have the edges which are to be brought into abutment cut in a corresponding pattern, as for example the angular teeth l3 and M, with corresponding indentations l5 and Hi. In making the joint these edges are brought into engagement edge to edge, either with or without adhesive. These edges so brought together as shown in Fig. 3 are held in place and reenforced, preferably on each side, by a heavy strip of suitable material such as stout paper, cloth or the like, ordinarily fastened with adhesive. Mechanical fasteners might be employed, but are not shown, not being generally used. Such strips are indicated by the reference characters i1 and I8.

' Preferablythis reenforcingtape will be of a invention the toothed parts are mutually interlocking so that the chief function of the tape or other fastening means is to prevent the sections from pulling apart. The teeth on each face prevent the upper and lower parts of that I face from moving sideways upon one another,

' the faces visible in Fig. 1, and let the double-., 1

and for this-reason also lock the .upper andlower parts of the adjacent faces' against moving out of their common plane.

' Byv way of illustration, let A and B designate headed arrows a and'b designate the directions of displacing tendency. Obviously the teeth of rounded projections face A prevent movement in either direction of arrow b, consequently not only preventing sideslip between the two'parts of A but also keeping the two parts of B in the same plane. And 'of course in like manner the teeth of B are a lock against relative movement of the parts of A.

This principle'is clearly not limited to a prismatic structure, but is equally applicable to cylinders, to tubes of elliptical or irregular trans wherein certain of the teeth are so disposed with reference to others that movement of certain teeth in and out of abutment is prevented. by side engagement of others.

Althoughbest, it is not essential to the practice. of the invention that the edges match closev In the modified form-shown in Fig, 3 the abutting edges are scalloped, with interengaging i3 and recesses l4, broughttogether either withpr without adhewith tape 11 and I! as in From. the foregoing it will be see n that l have invented a joint which, while particularly J adapted for use, with corrugated board is also suitable for with, other materials whose.

U characteristics adapt themselves for such treat-a) ment, including solid fiber board's, thin woodenv sheets either single or multi -ply, and so on. r Besides the advantagethatthe joining means of each 'side ofthe box prevents the other side from .moving out of abutting relation, myim 1 proved structure 'jalsohas the advantage that the strains which tend. to break the joint, either, by I bending, .orby a action at one endof aside joint, orfby. stresses in shear, all tend to comprising portions each of dimensions subwhen abutting.

. .4. -A box of inherently stiff sheet material centration at any one point, As a consequence, a structure built up by the use of joints of the type herein disclosed is fully as strong at the joint as at any other part and, indeed, any stresses to the breaking point result in a failure elsewhere than at the joint, before the joint gives way.

Other modes of applying the principle of my inventionmay be employed instead of the one explained, change being 'made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A joint for abutting edges of pieces of flat faces, said joint comprising irregularities on the -end of each piece, said irregularities being adapted to interengage to prevent side movement between the pieces on one face and simultaneously to prevent movement of the pieces out of abutment on the other face.

.2. A box of inherently stiff sheet material comprising portions, each of said portions having an open end, said open ends being comple mentarily shaped to prevent side motion in any 1 direction when abutting. verse section and, in general" to any bodies 3. A box of inherently stiif sheet material stantially up to the commercial size limits of such sheets, each of said portions having an open end, said open ends being complementarily shaped to -prevent side motion in any direction comprising at least two portions adapted for endwise engagement and not lying entirely in one plane and teethon the abutting ends of said portions. 5. A builteup structure of inherently stiff sheet "material, comprising sections having abutting ends, interengageable teeth on said ends, certain. of said teeth being substantially trans- 1 verse-to. others, .whereby the side engagement 5 yer; abutting iteeth prevents movement of other out of abutment. I

'6.':A"buiit-;up.structure of inherently stiff sheet material, comprising sections having abutting .ends, -interengageable teeth on said ends, certain'of said'teethbeingsubstantially transverse to otheralwhereby the side engagement of abutteeth prevents movement of other teeth out of abutment, and connecting means between adjacentsectionspreventing longitudinal separar I n I v n 7 tion of the-sections. I ;7 be widely distributed, thus avoiding any'con n. MORTON.

-.material having at least two angularly related CERTIFICATE 01' OORREOI'ION.'

Patent to. 2,027,747. January 14, 1936 LAWRENCE n. uomox.

It is barely certified that error apoears 1n the above numbored patent requiring correction as follows: In the drawing,

Figure 1 should appear as shown below instead of as shown in the patent and that tine said Letters Patent should be read with thin correction therein that "thgamge may contain to the record of the case 'in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this "'r'm a 01' April, A. n. 1936.

(9.81 Acting COmilBiOllO! of Pltentl. 

